Battle in the Underground Land is the 7th book in the Tales of the Emerald City series by by Sergei Sukhinov. It was published in 2000.
Description[]
In this seventh book of Sukhinov's Emerald City saga, the struggle between the forces of Good and Evil finally breaks out into open warfare as, at the urging of Marshal Magdar of the Marrans, the residents of Magic Land assemble an army, build a fleet of warships, and sail over the Subterranean Sea in order to carry out a preemptive strike on the Isle of Gorn, headquarters of the evil Pakir.
Magdar, ruler of the Marrans, comes to the Emerald City and has Ellie call a council of war. He feels that since Pakir is becoming ever more aggressive, the time has come for a preemptive invasion of the Underground Kingdom. Ellie somewhat reluctantly agrees, and she and Almar go out to recruit allies. The Storybook Folk agree to construct the needed warships but decline to participate, as do the Black Dragons. Ellie, however, falls into a trap set up by Princess Langa, whom Pakir has left her in charge while he is absent on a campaign. Langa needs Ellie’s help in getting rid of her new rival, Corina, who, despite her failure, has ingratiated herself with Pakir and aims to replace Langa as Princess of Darkness. Langa takes Ellie down to the Underground Kingdom. Corina wants to use her new exalted position to help Donald escape from the dungeon where he has been confined since his fiasco, but the remorseful youth prefers to stay and await his fate. Langa and Ellie confront Corina and transform her into -- a mouse! The little animal escapes, and Langa leaves Ellie in order to take care of Parcelius after his failure to seize the Black Flame.
Meanwhile, Ellie’s disappearance causes her friends to accelerate their preparations, and a hastily-built flotilla of warships shoves off down the Underground River. After some skirmishes, they reach the Subterranean Sea, and they head for Gorn, helped by their laser-like weapons (designed by Goodwin) and by the dragon Changar (who has come there seeking his friend Donald). They eventually they make a landing.
The invaders agree that Almar will take a detachment of troops through a secret entrance leading into Pakir’s palace, while the main force awaits his signal to attack from the outside. But once inside, Almar impulsively leaves his companions to seek his father in the dungeon, and they are slaughtered -- Almar escapes back to his companions only because Langa lets him go. Then Langa opens a floodgate, and chilling Darkness envelops the island and freezes the advancing Marrans, including Magdar, to statues. The invaders withdraw in defeat. Elg, now firmly on the side of Good, finds Ellie and flies her to the ships, and they begin their long retreat. Almar, however, goes ashore by himself and sets off on some personal business.
| Sergei Sukhinov's Magic Land books | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tales of the Emerald City | 1. Gingema's Daughter 2. The Fairy of the Emerald City 3. The Sorceress Villina's Secret 4. The Sorcerer's Sword 5. The Eternally Youthful Stella 6. Parcelius the Alchemist 7. Battle in the Underground Land 8. King Midgety 9. The Sorcerer from Atlantis 10. The Knights of Light and Darkness | |||
| Fairy Tales of the Emerald City | 1. Corina the Lazy Sorceress 2. Corina and the Ogre 3. The Sorceress Villina's Ward 4. The Little Dragon 5. The Crystal Island 6. Corina and the Magic Rhino 7. Three in the Enchanted Forest 8. The Black Fog 9. Master of the Winged Monkeys Prequel: Goodwin the Great and Terrible | |||